The present invention relates to a poke-through floor fitting to enable access to both electrical outlets and telecommunication connections. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fire-rated poke-through floor fitting for use in a three-inch diameter bore that has four electrical outlets and four voice/data jacks while maintaining a low profile and with non-overlapping bus bars.
Typically, fire-rated poke-through fittings provide a floor receptacle for electrical outlets and/or for telecommunication access. Generally, these poke-through fittings are mounted in a core-drilled, approximately three or four inch diameter hole, which is commonly formed in a concrete floor.
Due to the three inch diameter of the bore used for the typical poke-through fittings, the size of the typical fitting is inherently constrained, especially if it is desired to keep the fitting as close to the floor as possible, i.e., if it is desired to keep the fitting relatively flat with a low profile. Recently, the consistently increasing need for additional electrical outlets and telecommunication access at each workstation has made the prior art fittings deficient due to the limited number of electrical outlets and the limited amount of telecommunication access. This is especially true when a low profile, but easily accessible fitting is desired. Prior art fitting are also deficient in that they require complicated bus bar configurations due to the limited space within the fitting.
Examples of prior art fittings are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,643 to Castellani et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,724 to Shine; U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,491 to Bowman; U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,434 to Wuertz et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,930 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,278 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,128 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,131 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,594 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,204 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,416 to Goodsell; U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,835 to Ehrenfels; U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,103 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,790 to Spencer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,668 to Payne; U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,266 to Sanner; U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,542 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,826 to Castellani et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,799 to Wiley the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved poke-through floor fitting.
Another object of this invention is to provide an easily assembled outlet fitting with non-overlapping bus bars.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved poke-through floor fitting with increased electrical connections and increased telecommunication access.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a poke-through floor fitting with a low profile that is easily accessible.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a poke-through floor fitting having two pairs of electrical outlets that are each electrically connected to a different electrical source.
The foregoing objects are basically obtained by providing a fitting comprising: an electrical receptacle; and a first pair of electrical outlets coupled to the electrical receptacle and having a first bus bar, a second bus bar, and a third bus bar, each of the first, second, and third bus bars having first and second ends, each of the first and second ends having a terminal for receiving a prong of an electrical plug in a first direction, and each of the first, second, and third bus bars being spaced from each of the other of the first, second and third bus bars in a second direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
The foregoing objects are further obtained by providing a fitting assembly comprising: a first pair of electrical plugs, each of the plugs having prongs extending from a base and a front surface extending transversely to the base; a surface having an approximately three inch diameter, substantially circular opening; a electrical receptacle positioned within the opening; a first pair of electrical outlets coupled to the electrical receptacle with the first pair of electrical plugs being positioned within the first pair of electrical outlets and substantially parallel to each other with the front surface of each of the first pair of electrical plugs facing in a first direction.
The foregoing objects are still further obtained by providing A fitting assembly comprising: a surface with an approximately three inch diameter, substantially circular opening having an axis; an electrical receptacle positioned within the opening; and a first pair of electrical outlets coupled to the electrical receptacle and having a first bus bar, a second bus bar, and a third bus bar, each of the first, second, and third bus bars being spaced from each other in a non-overlapping orientation when viewed substantially parallel to the axis.
Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.